I'm a vet, but new to chickens!

Working Dog Doc

In the Brooder
7 Years
Apr 3, 2012
37
0
22
Missouri
Hi all, I'm a veterinarian from Missouri. I have a mostly small animal house call practice in Columbia. I was not an animal science major, so while we were taught about major chicken diseases in vet school mostly from the huge commercial flock perspective, I am just now learning about basic backyard stuff! :) The city I live in just recently approved backyard hens (only 6, boo!) and I'm getting clients asking about them, so I thought I might as well give them a try! So I'm here to learn right along with everyone. :)

I currently have 5 Cornish crosses and 2 Ameraucana pullets that just went outside a few days ago and 2 salmon Faverolles pullets still in the brooder (so I might be a few over my legal limit, hehe!). I'm a holistic vet and a foodie, so am trying to do this without antibiotics and so far, everyone's looking good! I'll be doing my own slaughtering/butchering in about 3 weeks or so for the meat birds.

I am also really into working dog sports and have 2 Belgian Malinois and 1 Belgian Malinois/Siberian husky cross (they help out herding the chickens too), 2 lynx point Siamese cats, 2 rats, 1 bearded dragon, and a 1 jungle carpet python.
 
Hello and :welcome
That's great that you're now allowed to keep chickens in your city! Fantastic news. Enjoy your flock, and good luck with them. Hope to see you more around the site. :D
 
Thanks everyone! I definitely am a chicken convert now. I'm not really a bird person, but these guys are really not any more trouble than a cat. Sometimes I'll drag out a lawn chair and just watch them for fun. Their poop is easier to deal with too.
big_smile.png
 
I sit in my lawn chair on the deck, and within about 10 minutes, I have 4 chickens sitting on the arms of the chair and in my lap!
 
Hello and welcome! Sounds like you have an awesome assortment of animals - I have three great dogs and one outside cat as well as the chicks - I used to have rats when I was in college (LOVED THEM), and my husband had these crazy ideas about building a plastic tunnel system all around the house so we could get some more. I think we'll just wait until we have some kids and they get to the "I want a hamster" stage, and we'll get rats because they have so much more personality.

My favorite rat, Pippen, thought he was a little dog, and played with our friend's dogs all the time!
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom